1) want to buy from mgm
2) dont like bell shaped ukes
3) solid koa (of course)
4) nice looking grain
5) so please just leave comments to help
1) I'm a little biased, so yes, I agree with MGM (ask him how he got that nickname).
2) Not too many bell `ukulele around these days - I think duane was one of the last I've seen.
3) Why the "of course" for Koa, as if there is nothing better? Koa has a nasty habit of twisting and turning, can be full of runout, and is very inconsistent in quality and structure from tree to tree. Why do Koa instruments from the same builder sound different? Check the Koa, not the builder.
4) Nice grain has almost nothing to do with aesthetic qualities of wood as much as it has an impact on final sound or quality, specifically when you're talking about quartersawn vs. flatsawn. Grain is something builders look at. If you're looking for nice figure in the wood, then that's another conversation.
5) You asked, so here it is. Since you are planning on spending some money to get a factory instrument, I'll just go ahead and say it - you're basically looking for the wrong stuff. At $1K, don't expect a nice looking instrument - but certainly find one that plays, sounds and intonates well. With the knowledge and ability of MGM in setting up his instruments, most people who buy off the rack factory instrument don't have the advantage of that instrument being, dare I say, properly set up. Most factory instruments can stand a little lowering of the action, and a string swap to match not only the instrument, but also your style of play. There are other
adjustments that can be done as well, but that will cost you - and this may be worth it.
Again, at $1K, one other thing you should be looking at, OTHER than nice grain, is neck profile. You won't have much of an option in that area either, but this is the one that makes you
feel the instrument, and should match your style of play as well.
just my $.02 - Aaron